I’m currently being bombarded with Nicki Minaj x Blackpink content from the VMAs last night, and I don’t even know how to begin unpacking this. Was the overall show objectively a mess (Johnny Depp cameo, Metaverse performance, Yung Gravy kissing Addison Rae’s mom)? Yes. Did it also provide peak nostalgia content (Nicki Minaj medley, Taylor Swift lore)? Also yes.
Recovering from a cold and dangerously unwell mental health has meant that I’ve had a lot of time to sit down and think about these things. I have a rotation of peaceful vlogs that I continuously rely on when my thoughts about this stuff runs out, which I think is important. If we’re going to be on this digital hellhole, we may as well also have a little fun.
Here’s what I’ve been thinking about this week:
Are we in another aspirational visual era of social media? Pinterest has been on the rise. Self-titled forecasters are vulturing on the impending Tumblr aesthetic trends, Christopher Columbus style. Many audios are being dedicated to photo dumps. Are we wholly in agreement on the rising valuation of being inspo?
Andrew Tate has been banned from YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Twitter, spurring ugly men everywhere to throw temper tantrums, as they realize that it’s actually not okay to call women property. The yassified Andrew Ate edits remain.
Pop culture wit has been the theme of memes this week, with the pique of concert yelling girl being usurped in energy by “walks in the room” memes. Most of them aren’t even that funny, which only furthers my suspicions about aspirational visual internet era incoming.
The New York Times union published a report revealing a constant devaluation of BIPOC employees compared to white employees. Which, for the publication that platformed Nathan Fielder’s evil twin Tom Cotton, makes sense.
Nice things to consider:
The Rehearsal is great. Do we need to make Nathan Fielder our white boy of the month? Do you think that’s what he would want? STAND UP!
I’m still not fully sure what happened in the Bardi Gang–Barbz wars, but somehow Saweetie got dragged into it, and meme’d, for no reason.
My birthday is coming up. Daniel Radcliffe will be playing Weird Al Yankovic. These things must be related.
Since we last spoke, I covered the Don’t Worry Darling drama. I was invited on-air by NBC to chat about Gen Z and skepticism.